Literary term facts for kids

A literary term is a special word or phrase that helps us talk about and understand books, poems, and stories. Think of them as tools that writers use to make their writing interesting, and tools that readers use to figure out how a story works. They help us describe the different ways authors write and the effects their words have on us.

What Are Literary Terms?

Literary terms are like a secret language for understanding literature. They are words that describe different techniques, styles, and parts of a story or poem. For example, when you say a writer uses "metaphor", you are using a literary term. These terms help us explain how a story is told, not just what happens in it.

Why Do We Use Literary Terms?

Using literary terms helps us in many ways:

• Understand better: They help us see the deeper meanings in stories and poems.
• Talk about books: They give us common words to discuss what we read with friends or in class.
• Write better: Knowing these terms can inspire you to use them in your own writing to make it more powerful.
• Analyze stories: They allow us to break down a story and understand how the author built it.

Common Literary Terms You Should Know

There are many literary terms, but some are very common and useful to know. Here are a few examples:

Metaphor

A metaphor is a way of describing something by saying it is something else. It doesn't mean it literally is, but it helps you imagine it better.

• Example: "The classroom was a zoo." This means the classroom was very noisy and chaotic, like a zoo, not that it had actual animals.

Simile

A simile is similar to a metaphor, but it uses the words "like" or "as" to compare two different things.

• Example: "Her smile was as bright as the sun." This compares a smile to the sun using "as."
• Example: "He eats like a pig." This compares his eating to a pig's eating using "like."

Personification

Personification is when you give human qualities or actions to something that is not human, like an animal or an object.

• Example: "The wind whispered through the trees." Wind cannot literally whisper, but it sounds like it does.
• Example: "The old house groaned in the storm." Houses don't groan, but the sound might make you think of it.

Alliteration

Alliteration is when words that are close together start with the same sound. It's often used in poems or tongue twisters.

• Example: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." The repeating "p" sound is alliteration.
• Example: "She sells seashells by the seashore." The repeating "s" sound is alliteration.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration used to make a point or for emphasis. It's not meant to be taken literally.

• Example: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse." You are very hungry, but you wouldn't actually eat a horse.
• Example: "I've told you a million times!" You haven't literally told them a million times, but you've said it often.

Imagery

Imagery refers to words that create pictures in your mind. It uses your five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to help you imagine what is being described.

• Example: "The crisp, cool air smelled of pine needles and damp earth as the golden sun set behind the jagged mountains." This sentence uses words that appeal to smell, touch, and sight.

Theme

The theme is the main idea or message that an author wants to share in a story. It's often a lesson about life, human nature, or society.

• Example: The theme of a story might be "the importance of friendship" or "the danger of greed."

Setting

The setting is where and when a story takes place. It includes the time period, location, and even the weather or social conditions.

• Example: A story's setting could be "a small village in England during the 1800s" or "a futuristic city on another planet."

Character

A character is a person, animal, or imaginary creature that takes part in the action of a story. Characters drive the plot and often show different traits and personalities.

• Example: In "Harry Potter," Harry, Hermione, and Ron are main characters.

Plot

The plot is the sequence of events in a story. It's what happens from the beginning to the end, including the problem, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

• Example: The plot of a detective story involves a mystery, clues, suspects, and finally, solving the crime.

How Literary Terms Help You

Learning literary terms is like getting a special decoder ring for books. They help you appreciate the skill of writers and understand the deeper layers of meaning in what you read. The more terms you know, the more you can enjoy and talk about stories and poems!